Apps promised to track users' fitness, but tricked them with surprise charges

While Apple’s Touch ID feature provides people with fast and convenient access to their favorite devices, some enterprising scammers have devised a way to use the fingerprint recognition technology to dupe unwitting users into paying for purchases they never meant to make.

But what these apps’ users likely didn’t realize – until it was too late, anyway – was that the apps were also using the same feature to prompt users for unexpected transactions. The result was users getting hit almost instantly with bills ranging from $100 to $120, according to WeLiveSecurity.

It’s unclear how these apps made it past the App Store’s notoriously rigorous screening process. Especially because apps that “prey on users or attempt to rip-off customers, (or) trick them into making unwanted purchases” are not allowed under Apple’s code of conduct.

Fortunately, it appears both apps have since been removed from the App Store. But given how easily users fell victim to these scams, you may want to think twice about adding any payment information to a phone or tablet equipped with the fingerprint recognition software.

.@AppleSupport this app called Fitness Balance is trying to scam people out of $100+ dollars by tricking them into purchasing their in-app purchases. It is unacceptable this app managed to get on your App Store. pic.twitter.com/I68vwQoG86